Ballplayer

After enjoying his playing career, he was a very flawed individual in his personal life. His dalliances with women reveal a man of questionable character. Things are not always what they appear to be. I appreciate his honesty, but question his morals.

The language printed in the book is a BIG distraction from what otherwise would be a good book. This awful language adds nothing to the story. I enjoyed reading his story, as the Bolles School, where he played his high school ball is just up the road from me; and is a training ground for many fine Olympians. I also learned that Chipper wasn't as high class individual, especially in marriages, that I had pictured him being by his reputation as an athlete who gave it his all, had lead one to believe.

Chipper Jones is my favorite baseball player and I really enjoyed this book. I liked hearing the real stories behind what I remember watching live. I also enjoyed the tips and explanations he gives on how to hit and why he was so consistent and productive in his 19 year career. As a wife of a little league coach it will come in handy. Overall if you are a Braves fan or a baseball fan in general you will enjoy this book.

I was very upset when I started reading this book. The language he uses is awful. Did he not think that some of his fans are kids and would be reading it? I was very disappointed in it and would not recommend it.

Most people think Chipper should be a Hall Of Famer but having watched him play on TBS most of his career I believe he is borderline. Then again I feel there are some players in the HOF today who are borderline but I will revisit that discussion at the end of my review.
The first thing that struck me about Chipper Jones was his name. Chipper harkens back to a late 19th Century early 20th century name where guys had names like Cap, Tris, Nap, Shoeless, you get the picture. The first pick of the 1990 MLB draft , it seemed by default, Chipper was the consummate 5-tool player who played SS. He could hit, run ,field, throw and hit for power. But trouble was always lurking. He broke his hand in a fight which messed up his minor league debut. The next season though he turned things around in a big way by batting .326 and stealing 40 bases. He continued to impress at Double and Triple A and it seemed like this switch hitter was poised to be the next superstar. But in what was supposed to be his rookie MLB campaign he tore his ACL in a preseason and missed the entire 1994 season.
By 1995 he settled in as the Braves starting third basemen and was hitting third which was quite an achievement for a player so young. He had a fine rookie season and the mighty Braves won the World Series that year and Chipper was going to be their rising star. The Braves remained dominant anchored by a splendid pitching staff led by Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux. Yet they never won another World Series and if you were to ask Chipper his greatest regret it would most likely be the 1996 WS where they had the Yankees on the ropes but couldn't consummate the deal.
The book is breezy, straightforward and easy to read. Although his personal life looked scrambled and a bit wayward Jones comes off as a southern gentlemen type who had to endure the hijinks of elder players like Maddux and others. One revealing section has the Braves treating him like a rookie in his sophomore season. Their excuse? They didn't remember hazing him the previous year. And Chipper, an only child with stern but loving parents, was shadowed and taught baseball by his dad from stem to stern. Chipper learned all sorts of things along the way in MLB like how to fight in a melee and other inside baseball dos and don'ts.
He came off as a confident player but he was never a showboat and always displayed the correct amount of professionalism .Like a lot of dedicated players Jones learned how to become a better player. As a switch hitter I used to think when he would come up right handed he was just a cut above a Punch and Judy hitter but it wasn't until Don Baylor came along that Jones discovered that it was OK to swing for the fences right handed and not to be so concerned about strikeouts and it worked. He won the NL MVP in 1999 where he hit .319 with 45 HR's and 110 RBI's.
As the Braves started to lose their long grip on the National League and a lot of the key cogs were drifting away Chipper would become the face of the franchise during the dry spell which began during the mid 2000's. By then he was compiling an impressive resume. From 1996 through 2003 Chipper had knocked in over 100 RBI.s. He was a consistent .300 plus hitter and in 2007, the last year he knocked in over 100 runs he batted a sterling .337. The next year he won the batting crown in his mid thirties! And the book rightfully focuses on his hitting prowess and his constant thirst to improve. What gets short shrift in the book was his fielding ability at 3B. He was a terrific defensive 3B with all the tools. He never won a Golden Glove but he was no slouch. Which is why I found it so jarring when they moved him to LF in 2002. I thought to myself that damn manager (the excellent) Bobby Cox, how could he move Chipper off of 3B where he was always in the middle of the action? He eventually would move back to 3B which was a relief to Chipper and Braves fans.
By the time ole Chipper announced he was retiring before his final season at 40 in 2012 he was a widely admired player who overcame two serious ACL tears and just played the game the old fashioned way with grit, hard work and determination. In perhaps the most revealing moment in the book the NL Manager of the 2012 All Star game Tony La Russa, the hard nosed brilliant Cardinal's manager, pretty much handed the reigns over to Chipper and had Jones address the team before the game. Chipper was put in the game to pinch hit to a rousing ovation and delivered a single as the NL trounced the AL 8-0. I couldn't help but think that this once golden child and daddy's protégé had finally come full circle and was now the elder statesmen that everyone looked up to. And he earned it the old fashioned way. Always a team player and dedicated to the art of baseball Chipper represents the type of player who had the proper character and desire to succeed. Jones overcame devastating set backs with perseverance. In regards to the HOF the committee has the thankless job of sorting things out form the steroid users and bad characters like Pete Rose. But at the end of the day if you don't feel Jones's numbers quite measure up if you add in "character" to the equation then I think when his name comes up for the HOF this year I see a deserving candidate. And I think that is in keeping with the true spirit of The Hall of Fame.

Chipper and Carroll not only take you inside the mind and career of one of the greatest switch hitters of all time, he's amazingly candid about his personal life. This book is so much of a tour de force of Chipper the businessman, Chipper the husband, Chipper the Father, Chipper the diplomat in navigating relationships with a United Nations of players in the clubhouses of his career, that you put the book down with so much more respect for Chipper the Man and his parents Larry and Lynne Jones. I hope they make a movie from this book.

one of the best Hitters and all around players of his generation. I like how he tackled race in the book and spoke about different players.
much respect on what he said about Barry Bonds and Gary Shiffield. great overview and reflections on and off the field and he was a clutch player, just ask New York Mets?

Chipper Jones was born to play baseball. Based on his remarkable career he received the highest recognition the sport has to offer as an elected Hall of Fame player. Importantly, the narrative lets Chipper say how it was from his perspective. He made some poor decisions, yet he offers his point of view willingly. He also expressed regrets and gives several apologies. In an era marred by steroid use Chipper played honest, and his achievements all came the right way with hard work. As a rare one club player he was the longest serving part of a very special Atlanta Braves dynasty.

Nicholas R.W. Henning - Australian Baseball Author